Government Blocks Access to The Wire's Website, Sparking Outrage Over Press Freedom

Censorship Claims Arise as The Wire's Website is Blocked

On Friday, a news outlet reported that the Indian government has restricted access to The Wire's English website, which it claims violates the constitutional right to press freedom.

According to internet service providers, the blockage was implemented following an order from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, citing the IT Act of 2000.

The Wire expressed its discontent, stating, "This blatant censorship occurs at a crucial moment for India, where credible and fair news sources are invaluable. We are taking all necessary actions to contest this arbitrary decision."

This incident coincides with rising tensions and cross-border conflicts between India and Pakistan, particularly following a terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22.

Additionally, on Thursday, the Indian government blocked the social media accounts of several other news outlets, including Maktoob Media, The Kashmiriyat, Free Press Kashmir, and the U.S.-based Muslim.

These actions were taken in response to legal requests from the Indian government, as confirmed by social media platforms X and Instagram.

While the accounts of Maktoob Media, Free Press Kashmir, and The Kashmiriyat were blocked on X, the Muslim account was restricted on Instagram. However, the websites of these outlets remain accessible in India.

In contrast, although The Wire's website is blocked, its social media accounts continue to function.

Digipub, a collective of independent journalists and news organizations, condemned the blocking of The Wire's website, labeling it a "blatant attack on press freedom."

They emphasized that this is a critical period for the nation, and such actions hinder rational discourse. Digipub has called for the immediate restoration of The Wire's website.

Earlier, a post from X's Global Government Affairs regarding India's request to block 8,000 accounts was also withheld.

The platform stated that it had received orders from the Indian government to block these accounts, which could lead to severe penalties, including hefty fines and imprisonment for local employees.

The directives included blocking access to accounts belonging to international news organizations and notable users on X. The platform, led by Elon Musk, indicated that it would comply with these orders solely within India.

However, the platform expressed disagreement with the Indian government's demands, arguing that blocking entire accounts is unnecessary and constitutes censorship, infringing on the fundamental right to free speech.

On Friday, the webpage of the post indicated it was withheld "in response to a legal demand."